There was no school today in our town. Or in a bunch of towns on the east coast, frankly. A heck of a storm has got everyone snowed in or iced in. We’re looking at about 7 or 8 inches of snow, and more “wintry mix” is on the way tonight. A real bonus for us was that we learned of our snow day last night–no setting the alarm clock. Luxury!

My husband often works from home, so I was grateful that he was safe here with us, even if he had to work. The kids were thrilled to sleep late, work on Valentines, play computer games and watch TV. I was happy for time to catch up on laundry, wear my pajamas (which I’m still wearing, by the way), and cook a little.

I had a bunch of chicken tenderloins in the fridge that I needed to cook, so I cooked them all in a skillet and used them for two different meals. I put some chicken chili in the crock pot for tomorrow, and for tonight’s dinner, I made Chicken Pot Pie.

The “stuff” or filling of the pie includes cream of chicken soup, sour cream, frozen mixed veggies, chicken pieces, and basil. For me, though, the topping was the fun part.

When I was growing up, my Mom used to make Pork Chop Pie, which was a wonderful, hearty dish that included pork chops, veggies, and cream- of- whatever- was – in -the- cabinet- soup. Say what you want about canned soup, but it tastes great, and you can make a million different things with it. My siblings and I probably would’ve croaked if that stuff wasn’t invented. Anyway, my favorite part of the Pork Chop Pie was the tiny biscuits Mom used to put on top for a crust. I’m pretty sure they were made with Bisquick, which is what I used to make mine today, but I also know without a doubt that Mom could make biscuits out of flour and practically nothing else. The woman has skills, people.

So today I used the last of the Bisquick to make my own tiny biscuits. They met my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed my pie with a glass of Riesling and the fond memories of my Mom’s delicious cooking, and how we all (7 OF US) enjoyed it around a small wooden table made by my Dad. I remembered how, being the youngest, I always had to sit way in the corner between the wall and the table in our kitchen on Leslie Lane in Richmond, VA. This meant that if I had to get up (which wasn’t really allowed), I had to crawl under the table past people’s knees and work my way out. Another fond biscuit memory from that table was this:

We often had bread with our meals–rolls, biscuits, cornbread. Many times we had those canned biscuits that Mom smacked on the counter to get them open. There were 10 biscuits in there, and there were 7 people in our family. This meant that SOME people, who shall remain nameless, would open one eye during the blessing to try and snatch one of the extras. I never had any luck, being the youngest, so now I’m a bit biscuit-greedy, I’m afraid. Oh well.

It has been a great snow day. My belly was warmed by those tiny biscuits, and my heart was warmed by the memories they brought. I got an extra dose of cheer from our neighbors, who came to help us (and others) as we shoveled our driveway and walk to make room for more snow.

I find it comforting that the happy things I remember from my childhood were not grandiose or expensive. They were as simple as tiny biscuits and a handmade table. It’s encouraging to me as a parent. Tiny things make a difference to kids, and to grown-ups. Tiny things can make big memories.

What tiny thing has brought you joy?